I really believe that everyone deserves a Best Buddy -- people with and without an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). If you've never heard of the international, nonprofit Best Buddies International organization, here is the quickest briefing I can think of: Best Buddies is a program that began at Georgetown University back in 1989, and now has roughly 1,900 chapters and growing. So there's a pretty good chance that your school has one! In the college setting, Best Buddies aims to establish a normal social life (with friends and everything!) for people in the community with an IDD.
This may sound like philanthropy or charity work, but I promise you it's not. It's so much better, because Best Buddies is arguably the most mutually-beneficial organization you'll ever come across. It's literally just like signing up to make a new friend.
The notion our society has about anyone with Downs Syndrome, a form of Autism, or any other disability is just so off. Many people seem to be too intimidated to communicate with someone who has a disability. It's like they have no idea what to say, so they just say nothing at all. If only we could see past the disabilities, our world would be so much more unified. There is absolutely no reason for people with disabilities to not be fully integrated into society.
Having a Best Buddy can really show you just how great of a friend you are missing in your life. A Best Buddy can open your eyes to how different everyone in this world may seem, but how much we actually have in common. They just might even inspire you to live your life more fully, because if they can, we sure as hell can too.
The Buddies that I have come to know over the years have been some of the most influential people in my life. They are hands down the most strong, because they accomplish just as much as anyone without a disability does in life, even with the odds stacked against them. They are the most caring, because they don't take any person or friend for granted. And they are the most positive, doing absolutely everything with a smile on their faces. It is incredible the amount of light they can bring into your life, and make you forget about the stresses of everyday life. If I ever feel like I am drowning in the sea that is the 21st century, my Buddy is my first reality check.
Almost a million people have been positively impacted by Best Buddies. Friendship is one of the simplest pleasures in life -- something you didn't even realize you were taking for granted.
